Sara Evans is set to launch the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage at CMA Music Festival, which is set for June 6-9 in downtown Nashville. Evans will play at 10 a.m. June 6.

The Chevrolet Riverfront Stage operates daily and is free and open to the public.

Sara Evans

“Sara is the perfect choice to launch the daily concerts on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage because of her great repertoire of hit music and undeniable connection to our fans,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer.

Tickets to CMA Festival’s nightly shows at LP Field are sold out, but tickets are still available for Fan Fair X at Music City Center. Admission to that event is $10 a day or $25 for four days at www.ticketmaster.com. Children 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

Moore's debut song “Somethin’ ’Bout a Truck” just spent two weeks at No. 1, becoming his first Billboard country chart topper and launching him toward stardom. At CMA Fest, he certainly looked like a singer who could fill venues with his name alone.

Playing to a hillside jammed with sundress-clad women and ball cap-wearing men, Moore entertained a crowd that he suggested was either just waking up or still recovering from the previous night's hangovers.

"Cheers all y'all," he said, taking a swig from a blue can before launching into a set that included “Crazy One More Time,” “Reckless (Still Growin’ Up),” and, of course, “Somethin' 'Bout a Truck.”

“This stage is packed with great hit-makers for four days, and it’s free,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “We invite everyone to come and enjoy the great music on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage.”

Individual tickets to the nightly shows at LP Field, which this year feature artists including Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton and Brad Paisley, are on sale now through Ticketmaster for $40 plus fees. Four day packages to the event start at $125. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or log on to www.ticketmaster.com. For more information on the CMA Music Festival, visit www.cmafest.com.

Rising country star andAmerican Idol alum Casey James treated our cameras to blazing performance of his song, "Drive," as heard on his brand-new, self-titled debut album for BNA Records/19 Recordings.

"I'm not much of a guitar player," James told us before his performance, but the dizzying blues licks he pulled out during this fiery roadhouse number definitely suggested otherwise. Crank up your headphones and start your weekend right, and check out James' official site while you're at it.

Casey James is the first person to stand up and say he’s been blessed.

Two years ago, James took a chance and tried out for American Idol, a show he had never even watched — and still hasn’t. He came in third, but the finishing spot was enough to earn the attention of Sony Music Nashville who signed James to a recording deal.

His debut album, which is self-titled, will be in stores Tuesday, March 20.

“Making the album has been a lot of work,” said James who co-wrote nine of the 11 tracks and co-produced the project. “I’ve always dreamed of making the album I wanted to make and never had the ability to do that because I didn’t have the money to go into the studio, or amazing minds and creativity around me. I’ve enjoyed every single moment of it, from the writing of the songs and the music to going into the studio and being present for every single second of everything. It was something that I’ll never forget.”

James describes the album as “romantic” and says his debut single “Let’s Just Call It a Night” — an uptempo love song about “not wanting an amazing night to end” — is the best possible introduction of himself for fans and country radio.

“It can set me up for people to understand me as an artist, even though that song is just a small piece of what I do,” he says. “Even though there’s nothing else on the album exactly like that, everything has that in it, and it’s a good example of what you’re going to get stylistically,” he says.

Most of all, he wants everyone to know he’s not taking this chance for granted.

“I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can to respect the benefits and the gifts I’ve been given,” he says. “I mean the ability to play guitar and sing, the record deal that I’ve gotten, the people working with me, all the people that have believed in me my whole life. I’m going to keep working hard to respect that because I love it. It’s what I do.”

8 p.m. -- The evening’s hosts, Steve Wariner and Bill Anderson, introduced the first act: Zac Brown Band. The stadium was only about three-fourths full and fans rushed to their seats as Brown kicked off the set with the band’s beachy hit “Toes.”

“We’re very proud to be kicking things off,” Brown told the crowd. “If you all have never been to one of our shows, you’re about to get one now.”

The band launched into a charged version of “Free,” then slid into a speedy, intense version of Charlie Daniels' “Devil Went Down to Georgia” that showcased the players' stellar musicianship.

Brown brought out special guest Amos Lee for performances of “Colder Weather” and “Knee Deep,” and brought out new artist Sonia Leigh, saying, “You all don’t know who she is now, but you will.”Continue reading →

In one of the more unexpected Academy of Country Music Awards show pairings, Rihanna will team up with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles on a version of the R&B singer's new single, "California King Bed," at the first-ever ACM Fan Jam, which will be broadcast live during the ACM Awards in Las Vegas, airing at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 3 on CBS.

Country singer Casey James is set to open March tour dates for Sugarland on The Incredible Machine tour.

James is working on his debut album, which is expected out later this year. He'll play ahead of Sugarland beginning March 4 in North Little Rock, Ark., and will open shows in Tulsa, Okla., Greenville, S.C., North Charleston, S.C., Jacksonville, Fla., Grand Rapids Mich., Bloomington, Ill. and Sioux City, Iowa.

"I am so excited," James said in a statement. "I think it's an awesome opportunity to play in front of people that love great music. I can't wait to get back out there and share new music with the fans."

Sugarland's Incredible Machine tour is headed to Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on April 16, with Little Big Town and Matt Nathanson opening. Tickets for the Nashville show run $24.50, $44.50, $54.50 and $74.50, and are on sale via Ticketmaster.